THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, December 20, 1994 TAG: 9412200059
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Craig Shaprio
LENGTH: Medium: 95 lines
ORDERS ARE already being taken for the March 3 release of ``The Lion King.'' In the meantime, ``Circle of Life'' (1994, Walt Disney Home Video) fills the video void delightfully.
The tape, the 12th ``Sing Along Songs'' collection, gathers ``Circle'' and B ``I Just Can't Wait to Be King'' from the current mega-hit plus clips from five other movies - ``Aladdin,'' ``Beauty and the Beast,'' ``The Little Mermaid,'' ``The Aristocats'' and ``Pinocchio.'' It's a can't-miss deal that works for all viewers in many ways: the exuberance and breadth of the songs, the unrivaled animation and, given that the set list dates back to 1940, as a mini-lesson in Disney history. On top of that, there's a trailer for next year's ``Pocahontas.'' ($12.99).
Disney also has released ``Winnie the Pooh and Christmas Too'' ($14.99), with the silly old bear personally delivering a letter to Santa.
Big kids know the players. But for little brothers and sisters, ``The Land Before Time II: The Great Valley Adventure'' (1994, MCA/Universal) will be their intro to Littlefoot, Cera, Ducky, Petrie and Spike. No matter. The direct-to-video sequel stands up fine, even though it's not as richly animated as Don Bluth's 1988 original, a Steven Spielberg/George Lucas production.
Here, the five pals face an age-old problem: How can they get the adults to stop treating them like hatchlings? They also learn something about prejudice. Two new characters, a couple of egg-stealing struthiomimuses, add comic relief. The sequel also includes three songs by The Roches that work surprisingly well. ($19.98, due Monday)
Filmed in the Shenandoah Valley, ``Lassie'' (1994, Paramount) is a gorgeous movie. The star, the eighth-generation descendant of the collie trained for 1943's ``Lassie, Come Home,'' is a beaut, too. And the film pushes the right buttons. A family leaves Baltimore for the rural life. Lassie's devotion helps the angry, lonely son adjust to his mom's death and accept his stepmother. The pooch saves the sheep farm and wins over the wicked rancher next door.
Trouble is, it pushes those buttons a bit too hard for those of us who grew up with the TV series. That shouldn't bother young viewers. But don't just plop them down and walk off. Things get tense at the end, and you need to be there. (RATED: PG for mild language and tense moments)
Sherlock: Undercover Dog'' (1994, Columbia TriStar) is a strange hybrid - a cross between ``Turner and Hooch'' and ``Mr. Ed.'' A talking police dog, an Airedale with a Scottish accent, gets a boy to help him save his human partner, who's been kidnapped by smugglers. Of course, no one believes the kid. And he needs to stay out of trouble so he can live with his inventor father instead of his uncool mother. Sure, it's a silly premise, and the acting is amateurish. Go with it anyway. It's harmless fun. (RATED: PG for pee-pee jokes)
FoxVideo has a couple of seasonal titles on video for the first time. ``Christopher the Christmas Tree'' touches everything from God to country in telling the tale of a tree no one wanted that ends up on the White House lawn, a representative of ``love and hope, peace and goodwill.'' The animation is half-decent and some of the voices are very funny. It's geared to the 7-and-under set, as is ``Raggedy Ann & Andy: The Christmas Adventure.'' A spin of sorts on ``How the Grinch Stole Christmas,'' the two dolls and their friends track down the no-goodnik who stole Santa's reindeer, sleigh and toys.
Older kids (and parents, too) can make do with two FoxVideo re-releases. ``The Simpsons Christmas Special'' and ``A Garfield Christmas'' have made the TV rounds for years, but they're still a hoot. ($9.98 each)
Give the producers of ``The Night Before Christmas'' (Sony Wonder) credit for adding something new to the holiday mix. The poem by Clement Clarke Moore is only the jumping-off point for this story about an orphan who puts others before his own simple desires - a home and family. What it lacks in animation, it more than compensates for with its good-natured, timely message. The score is another plus, drawing on a number of classical sources. ($14.98)
Quick takes
Family Home Entertainment has a sleighful of holiday classics featuring the voices of such greats as Jimmy Durante and Fred Astaire. ``Frosty the Snowman,'' ``Frosty Returns,'' ``Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,'' ``Santa Claus Is Coming to Town'' and ``The Little Drummer Boy'' are $12.98 each.
New to video, and also $12.98 a pop, are ``Norfin Adventures: A Norfin Noel,'' ``Will Vinton's Claymation Christmas'' and two Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles tapes - ``Christmas Sing Along'' and ``Music Video.''
A trio of tapes from Video Treasures is sure to cover all bases. ``Christmas Tales & Tunes,'' ``Hanukkah Tales & Tunes'' and ``Sports Tales & Tunes'' employ live action, animation, puppetry and sing-along songs. They're $12.98 each and aimed at 2-to-8-year-olds. ILLUSTRATION: Color photos by Disney
The "Circle of Life" video features a collection of songs from " The
Lion King" and five other Disney movies.
Time II: The Great Valley Adventure.
BOB GREENE
Thomas Guiry stars with a descendant of the original movie Lassie in
``Lassie,'' which was filmed in the Shenandoah Valley.
by CNB